On Temu, a new name has begun turning up: Bemuvo. Storefronts documented by several publications offer apparel, household products, and other goods familiar to users of the platform in markets such as Japan and Canada.
The name might otherwise be easy to overlook. But Bemuvo has also left a paper trail.
Shanghai XPM Hongqiao E-Commerce filed a series of applications for the Bemuvo trademark in the US on June 10, spanning categories including clothing, household products, and food. The applications claim priority from filings made in Hong Kong two days earlier.
What is less clear is what Bemuvo is intended to be and what PDD Holdings, Temu’s parent company, plans to do with it.
PDD has not publicly identified Bemuvo as a Temu-owned private label. Its appearance, however, coincides with a broader push by the company into first-party brands, meaning products developed and sold under brands it controls. Bemuvo may offer an early indication of what that strategy could look like.
PDD moves into first-party brands
In March, PDD established Xinpinmu, an initiative intended to develop brands it operates itself for global markets.
According to Caixin, PDD injected RMB 15 billion (USD 2.2 billion) into the initiative and plans to invest RMB 100 billion (USD 14.9 billion) over three years. The outlet reported that Xinpinmu is expected to combine PDD’s domestic supply chain with Temu’s international reach while supporting functions including customized manufacturing, product standards, warehousing, logistics, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance.
PDD subsequently made its intentions more explicit.
“Supply chain investments will be our core strategic priority,” Zhao Jiazhen, PDD’s co-chairman and co-CEO, said when the company reported its first-quarter results in May. Zhao added that PDD would commit “significant resources” to building its first-party brand business. The precise connection to Bemuvo remains unconfirmed.
Chinese media reports have linked Shanghai XPM Hongqiao, the trademark applicant, to Xinpinmu. Products bearing the Bemuvo name have appeared on Temu, the international marketplace expected to give the initiative access to overseas consumers.
If Bemuvo is part of the company’s first-party strategy, PDD would hardly be the first marketplace operator to see an advantage in selling products of its own.
From marketplace to merchant
Amazon has spent years selling private-label products alongside goods from third-party merchants, with Amazon Basics its most recognizable house brand. Traditional retailers have pursued private labels for even longer.
The appeal is straightforward. A marketplace can see what consumers search for, what they buy, how much they are willing to pay, and what they dislike about the products they receive. Selling first-party products can give the operator greater control over product specifications, manufacturing, pricing, and presentation.
For PDD, its manufacturing relationships also matter. Pinduoduo and Temu have developed extensive connections with China’s manufacturing base. A first-party operation could move PDD further upstream, from matching factories and merchants with consumers to taking a more active role in determining what those factories produce.
Shein offers a related example. Its model has developed around close coordination with manufacturers, using consumer signals to inform production while keeping inventory cycles short. That approach gives Shein more influence over its products and supply chain than a conventional third-party marketplace would typically have.
PDD has indicated that its plans will also involve greater control. Xinpinmu’s remit encompasses areas including customized manufacturing and product standards, while management has repeatedly described deeper supply chain investment as a long-term priority.
Greater involvement could also help PDD improve consistency, something harder to ensure across a sprawling marketplace.
When third-party merchants decide what to manufacture and how, a platform can set rules and police violations, but its control over the product itself is limited. A first-party model can bring decisions about specifications, manufacturing standards, quality control, packaging, and compliance closer to the platform.
A different environment for Temu
Temu’s operating environment has changed considerably since the platform began its international expansion in 2022.
Low-value parcel exemptions helped Chinese cross-border platforms ship inexpensive products directly to consumers without incurring the duties associated with conventional bulk imports. That advantage has since been eroded.
The US ended de minimis treatment for low-value shipments from China and Hong Kong in May 2025 before eliminating the exemption more broadly. Temu subsequently reduced its US advertising and shifted toward local fulfillment.
Other markets have moved in a similar direction. The EU introduced a EUR 3 (USD 3.4) fee on low-value e-commerce parcels in July. Turkey, meanwhile, abolished simplified customs clearance for low-value online imports. Temu initially restricted cross-border orders in Turkey following the change, while Shein suspended sales in the market. Temu subsequently resumed orders under a model in which its local entity acts as the importer.
It is not clear whether trade policy directly prompted PDD’s first-party strategy. Still, the changes illustrate the less accommodating conditions Temu now faces as it tries to maintain a model built around cross-border shipments from China.
Shein has faced similar pressures and has responded in part by adapting where it manufactures, warehouses, and sells goods. For platforms linking Chinese supply chains with overseas consumers, cost alone is not enough. How supply chains are organized in each market has become increasingly important.
Investing through slower growth
PDD remains profitable and continues to grow, although at a slower pace.
According to its second-quarter 2026 results, revenue rose 8% year-on-year to RMB 112.4 billion (USD 16.8 billion), while net income attributable to ordinary shareholders fell 12% to RMB 27.2 billion (USD 4.1 billion).
Operating expenses increased 13% during the quarter, including higher spending on sales and marketing and R&D. PDD said it had stepped up investment in its ecosystem.
The company also has considerable funds to invest. It ended June with RMB 456.4 billion (USD 68.1 billion) in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments.
PDD has cautioned that its long-term investments may weigh on financial performance. The first-party brand initiative reflects its willingness to spend on changing how its supply chain operates.
The evidence remains circumstantial. But if Bemuvo is part of the company’s first-party push, it offers an early glimpse of how PDD could expand beyond operating a marketplace to play a greater role in product development and supply chain management.
Note: EUR, RMB figures are converted to USD at rates of EUR 0.87 = USD 1 and RMB 6.70 = USD 1 based on estimates as of September 21, 2026, unless otherwise stated. USD conversions are approximate and, where appropriate, rounded for ease of reference. They may not fully match prevailing exchange rates.